Solomon alexander



S. ALEXANDER.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1918.

Patented Oct.

@Hof/nuja n UNITED srl-iras PATENT. orrrcn;

SOLOMON ALEXANDER, 0F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ALVIN AMOS i CROSSMAN, OF LONG BEACH, vCALIFORNIAn TOOTH-BRUSH'.

' 'specification of Letters rennt.

Patented oct'. 14, 1919;

, Application ledltarch 28, 1918. Serial No. 225,275.

To all whom t may conc-em.'

Be it known that I, SOLOMON ALEXANDER,

.a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in then county of Los Mgeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toothand use the same.

This invention relates lto tooth brushes,

and it relates more particularly to an` improved iorm of rotary tooth brushes'.y A

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a tooth brush which is thoroughly eii'ective for reaching and scouring cavities, pockets, spaces and recesses in and between the teeth of the user;

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the scouring move-- ments 4are directed around the spaces between the teeth, instead of in the direction laterally of the spaces; f Another object is to provlde a tooth brush which is operable to eii'ect a movement of the brushes in alternating directions uponthe teeth, by the\ application of `external pressure in only one direction; L

Another object is to provide a tooth brush of this character which may be easily cleansed and kept in a sanitary condition;

Another object isto provide for cleans- 4 ing both the. inner and outer sides of the teeth simultaneously; Another object isto provide a device of this character with removable and interchangeable brushes, so that the latter may be renewed without the necessity for renewing the entire device;

Other o'bj ects and advantages ma become apparent to persons who read the fdllowing details of description-in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 isa side elevation of one of my improved tooth scouring devices;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the preferred connection of the brushes with the rotary elements which operate them;

- Referring to these drawings in detail'in which similar reference characters lcorrebearings receive the reduced end or rivet element 12 of a rod '13 which extends to and through' Spond with similar shaped element 5, and then connecting the ends of the s'tripor U-shaped element by ceive the reduced end portions or rivet ele- 'means of a plate 6- which is apertured to rements 7. The plate 6 is also apertured to p vprovide journal bearings 8, and 1s centrally apertured at 9 for a purpose presently made known. L VStrip 5 is apertured to provide'journal 10, and 1s also apertured at 11 to the central aperture. 9 of the plate 6.

A palr of oppositely screw-threaded elements 14 are journaled in the bearings 8 and 10 andeach of these rotary elements carries a rush 15. The brushes 15 may be secured to the rotary elements 14 by any appropriate means, but the preferred means is illustrated in Fig. 4 which discloses a screw-threaded connection 16 and locking element or screw 17 For the purpose of rotating elements 14, I provide an actuating element 18 having internal threads which engage with the threads of elements 14 and 1s moved longitudinally inthe latter so as to efect rotation therein.

The element 18 is provided with a central aperture 19 through which the rod 13 eX- tends.

. A tubular operating element 20 is provided with a ring or eye 21 which is adapted to receive a finger or thumb of the user so as to obtain the maximum convenience in reciprocating this element longitudinally through the aperture 9. The elements 18 and 20 may be formed integrally yor separately, according to the desire of the manufacturer, and they are rigidly united with one another, so that when the operating mem'ber 20 is reciprocated, it imparts a reciprocatory movement to the actuating element 18 and thereby imparts a rotary .movement to the elements 14 and 15. As the elements 1 4 are oppositely screw threaded, it is obvious that the' brushes 15 will be rotated simultaneously upon each stroke ofthe operating and actuating elements in one direction, and, that their respective movements will be reversed when the operating aandl actuating elements are moved in the opposite direction by means of a spring 20 which is inclosed 1n the tubular element 20 and bears against the free end of thev rod 13.

In order that the frame 5 6 may have the maximum rigidity, and in order to provide the maximum convenience, I provide a second open frame 22, and secure the same to the frame 5--6 by means of rivets 23. On opposite sides of the frame 22 I secure a pair of rings or eyes 24 which are adapted to receive two fingers of the user, so that the device may be conveniently and comfortably held in position for scouring or washing the teeth of the user. It will be Seem'therefore, that the device may be operated with one hand, by engaging the rings 24 with two fingers and by pressing the member 20 inward by means of the thumb of that hand, but both hands may-.heemployed when desired.

It will be obvious that when the operating element 20 is pressed inward, the lengthgo the device is materially reduced, so that when the brushes l5 are disconnected at 17` and th element 18-20y is telescoped within th` frame 5, the device is reduced to between 5 and of its fully extended length, and

vtherefore the device may be inclosed in a comparatively short casing, for the sake of convenience in carrying y the device from place to place. I

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a vdevice which is fully capable of attaining the foregoing Objects, and which may be made at a comparatively slight cost.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very minutely, it is not intended to limit my invention ,to these exact details of construction but my invenparallel to one another in said frame, brushes i carried by said screw-threaded members, an actuating element engaged with the Iscrew threads of both of said screw-threaded mem-l bers and being operable to rotate the latter, a tubular operating element effective tore- Iciprocate said actuating element, a compression spring in said tubular operating element, and a rod carried by said frame and operatively connected with said spring so as to move said operating element longitudinally of said screw-threaded members.

2. The combination of a rectangular frame having pairs of bearings in two op'- posite ends and .having an aperture between the, bearings of one of'said pairs, Va rod secured to said frame and having one end ,extending through said aperture, rotary -[elements in said bearings on opposite sides fsaid rod, brushes rotatable by said rotary ments,` a tubular,` operating element eX- ndingjthrough said aperture and adapted tofreceivesaid rod, aspring in'said tubular elementandl` 'coperatively connected with said rod so as to move said operating element longitudinally of -said rotary elements, and means whereby the longitudinal movement of said tubular operating element effects rotation of said rotary elements.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SOLOMON ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

C. HASKELL, PERcY HIGHT. 

